Zero Food Waste

Thursday, 28th February 2019

Food waste is a problem.

It is the third largest contributor to climate change, but with so many people going hungry it also feels like, well, such a waste. That is why we are proud that all our stores are now Zero Edible Food Waste.

Like lots of retailers we work hard to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in the first place, but as we sell a large range of fresh foods and serve 10,000 meals a week in our cafes there is inevitably some. To avoid it being thrown away, since 2017 we have been part of OLIO’s “Food Waste Heroes” programme.

At the end of every day we donate all our edible food to volunteers who redistribute it to the local community via OLIO, the food sharing revolution platform. It is a truly pioneering partnership and each month more than 5000 portions of perishable food now feed bellies in communities near all of our stores. The rescued food helps many people affected by hunger and food poverty.

“Volunteering at OLIO has strengthened my understanding of what it means to give back to the community. Since I started saving food from Planet Organic, I have shared my collections with over 100 people in my local area. Struggling single parents, the elderly, the disabled, the hungry & vulnerable; have all benefited from the surplus food. I believe it's important to do what we can for others in need, and as a bonus we're helping the planet too.”